Manifestation of Sin
by Stormsworder
Summary: Danielle Roivas finds herself trapped in a strange world where she has a destiny that others know more about than she herself. Now, she must work to fight Sin and the darkness within. Chapter 9 up. Scrapped.
1. Awakening

((I have NO idea why I even wrote this. I was bored in class one day and just started writing this because I had recently played Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 after borrowing it for a week. I doubt a lot of people willl like it, but hey, this was just something I started from daydreaming and all that. Hope you DO like it, even if it's just a little bit. Please post comments and stuff, too.))

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_Your sins will haunt you, Danielle Roivas. Good deeds will not remove this burden. You are Xel'lotath's Liche, and for eternity, that is how you shall be remembered in the book of history. You are a child of darkness, Roivas, and sin shall destroy you._

Chapter 1: Awakening

Danielle groaned, slowly forcing her eyes open but squinting them shut against the sun overhead. She turned over on her stomach, pushing herself to her feet and nearly losing her balance from the shifting sand underfoot. She steadied herself and looked around, dazed.

She was on a small beach with a pier and a few small huts. No one was in sight, but it looked like a group of people had just been here judging from the footprints. Danielle shook her head, trying to clear the fog that had settled itself in her mind so she could figure out where she was. This was a stark contrast from the underground city of Ehn'gha she had been fighting in moments before. But how had she got here? _Where _was here?

Off to the right was a pathway leading away from the beach. She took a step towards it when her foot nudged something hard. Danielle crouched down, picking up the pieces of her shattered sword. Flashes from the battle shot through her mind as she stood up once more, holding the remnants of the blade in her hand.

A dark power had been growing in the Guardian City, so she had gone to investigate. Her sister Alexandra had protested strongly, saying that Danielle had only been out of the hospital a few weeks and shouldn't be straining herself so much. She had been seriously injured and just recovered from the wounds she had received in that battle that was eternally seared into her memory. Reassuring her sister that she would be careful and wouldn't be gone long at all, she had entered the ancestral Roivas mansion and made her way down into the ancient city beneath it.

It had been a trap. A powerful man had ambushed her in the heart of the city, using dark arts to fight her. She had given it her all, but in the end, the man had shattered her weapon and opened a dark gateway. He had ranted on about sin and darkness, and there was something otherworldly about him. The power he used wasn't that of the Ancients. It was something even stronger.

The darkness that had surrounded her when she was sent through the gateway had overwhelmed her senses, and she wasn't able to hold onto consciousness for long. Now she was here on a beach in a place far different from her home or anything she had ever been to. Her best chances for finding out where she was at were to find anybody who lived here. Hopefully, a town or something was nearby, and she could get some information from there.

Sighing, Danielle undid her sword scabbard on her back and put the two halves of the blade inside, recalling how she had come across the sword. She had seen an apparition of sorts when she entered Ehn'gha, and it had lead her through the winding pathways to it. There was a power hidden deep inside of it, but she highly doubted she would ever be able to call on it. And now with it being broken, that power was gone. "A gift from a spirit of that dead city," she whispered. "But why did it lead me to the sword? Why did it want me to have it so bad if I ended up breaking it in battle?" Danielle sighed heavily once more, carrying the scabbard in one hand as she looked towards the path. She had better get a move on, or her questions would never be answered.

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"Now _this _was unexpected," Danielle muttered, looking around at the small village she had entered. It was so old fashioned that she felt like she had gone a few hundred years in the past. "Or a little over a thousand maybe. Where the heck am I?" She walked forward, noticing the curious glances from people all around. In her dark blue jeans, black T-shirt, and navy blue tennis shoes, she really stuck out.

Danielle made her way to the largest structure, a temple. There was a strange power coming from inside of it, but it wasn't like the dark power she had felt in Ehn'gha or anything. It actually seemed comforting, and something inside of her wanted her to go to it. Curious, she stepped inside.

The first things to catch her eyes were the four large statues. No one was inside at the moment, but voices drifted out from the chambers on either side of a set of stairs. The power she felt came from somewhere beyond the door at the top of the steps.

_I know I probably shouldn't do this, but I have to see what that source of that power is. I can feel it calling out to me..._

Danielle checked to make sure no one was watching her as she crept up the stairs and through the door, finding herself now in a labyrinth of sorts. Obviously, it had been rigged with numerous puzzles involving spheres, and someone had been through just before her. She walked through it, looking around in awe. What kind of place was this? Never before had she seen or heard of anything like this.

Voices drifted through the corridors, along with the sounds of footsteps on stone. Danielle hid in a dark alcove, hiding before someone saw her. She peered around the wall, watching as a group of people came out of the room.

There were two girls: one with brown hair and white and blue robes, and the other had black hair with a black dress-like robe. A large creature with dark blue fur came next, along with two men. The first man had orange hair and wore a yellow outfit with a blue headband. The other had blondish hair and wore a brighter yellow outfit than the first that covered more of his body. They were talking about something called an "aeon", and the girl with brown hair seemed slightly distracted. She fell behind a bit, then stopped for a second and looked around behind her. Danielle sidled back against the wall, shutting her eyes and hoping she hadn't been spotted.

"What's the matter, Yuna?" one of the men asked.

"It's… Nothing. I just thought someone was watching us," a soft female voice replied. Danielle peered around the corner once more, hidden in shadows as she looked at the group once more. The brown-haired girl was still turned in her direction, and her eyes looked around the room. What surprised Danielle was that one eye was blue and the other was green. Sighing softly, she followed her companions towards the exit of the maze.

_Way too close, _Danielle thought to herself, stepping out from her hiding place. She looked into the room the group had just left, the power she had felt at the entrance to the temple increasing as she stepped towards a single stone door. It rose upward as she approached, revealing a smaller room beyond. Danielle walked inside, her gaze attracted to a dome of glass on the floor. It covered the statue of a massive winged beast. She stared in awe, not noticing the ghostly figure that had appeared above it until it spoke her name. Danielle looked up, startled. "Who… Who are you?"

"I am the fayth of this temple. I reside in this statue, awaiting summoners so that I may lend them my aid and allow them to use the winged aeon, Valefor. You, Roivas, are one of those summoners."

Danielle shook her head. "No way! I have no idea where I even _am_, and you want me to be a 'summoner'? I don't even know what that is!"

The fayth's continued to speak, its expression never changing. "All will be revealed in time. Spira needs you, warrior of the light. It is in your blood to fight the darkness. Now, let your sleeping powers awaken. Valefor shall aid you." The spirit flew into Danielle before she could reply, and she collapsed to her hands and knees. Gasping, her eyes widened at the strange power she now felt inside.

"A summoner…? What does it mean…?" She slowly controlled her breathing and staggered to her feet, staring down at her gloved hands. She was trapped in a strange world, along, and told that she was needed in the fight against darkness. What was next?

Shaking her head, Danielle started towards the exit, stumbling a bit from the exhaustion she now felt after the fayth had entered her. She knew nothing about this world, and if she was going to find out any info, she would have to come up with a plan. No one would believe her story, so she had to think of something else. "Man, this can't be good at all," she whispered, creeping out of the empty temple.

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A group of people were gathered outside around a circle of dirt. The same five people she had seen before were there, and the brown-haired girl one of the guys had called Yuna was in the middle. Danielle walked down the steps, entering the crowd to get a better look. "I wonder who that girl is?" she whispered to herself.

"She is Yuna, daughter of High Summoner Braska," a lady beside her answered. Startles, Danielle looked at the lady, realizing it was one of Yuna's companions. She hadn't expected anyone to be able to hear her over the excited whispers of the people around them. "I've never seen you on Besaid Island before. What's your name?"

"Danielle. And yeah, I'm not from here." Danielle thought for a second before continuing on. "Not really sure how I got here, or where I'm from."

_Way to go,_ she thought to herself. _Act like you have no memory. _Real _smooth, idiot._

"I see… I am Lulu, one of Lady Yuna's guardians." She fell silent as Yuna began to perform some sort of ritual. A green symbol appeared on the ground, and four spheres of light shot into the clouds overhead. A giant bird-like creature then shot down, landing on the ground in front of Yuna. She gently strokes its face, and Lulu smiled gently. The smile fell away as she looked back at Danielle. "So, you have no memory of the past, correct?" Danielle nodded. "What all of Spira do you remember? Anything?"

Danielle shook her head. "Only my name, and that's all."

Lulu frowned slightly. "We will be traveling to Luca after we visit the temple in Kilika. Perhaps someone there may recognize you. I know the chances are slim, but it is worth the try…" She nodded over to the blond-haired man. "Tidus is another person like you. He doesn't remember where he's from due to Sin's toxin. Wakka told me he said he played for the Zanarkand Abes at first, but that's impossible. The city is a ruin. No one plays blitzball there anymore."

Danielle raised an eyebrow, confused. Zanarkand? What the heck was that? "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

Lulu sighed, shaking her head. "I'll explain it to you. We'll stay here in Besaid for the night before setting out for Kilika. You may want to get to know the others, even if we won't be traveling together for long."

Danielle nodded. "It sounds good to me." She watched as the crowds dispersed, wondering, not for the first time, what the heck she had gotten herself into.


	2. Departure

Pheonixflame308: Thanks. Don't worry. :P I will keep on writing.

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Chapter 2: Departure

Danielle stared into the campfire, going over all of what Lulu had explained to her in her mind. This world was known as Spira, and for a thousand years, it had suffered from the wrath of a great monster known as Sin. Summoners would travel to various temples in Spira to receive the aeons so that they could prove themselves worthy of the great Final Aeon to defeat Sin. But what good would it do if Sin kept being reborn? Why hadn't anyone thought of trying to find a way of stopping it permanently instead of just for a few years? She didn't voice her thoughts to Lulu, sure that she wouldn't really appreciate it.

It seemed as if Lulu read Danielle's thoughts, because she quietly added, "As long as people can live in peace, even for a little while, a summoner will fulfill his or her duties. That's how it's always been. That is the summoner's creed."

Danielle lowered her head slightly, then looked back up at the fire. "It sounds like a pretty big job for one person, even if they do have guardians with them," she whispered. "How could a person handle such a great burden like that?"

Lulu looked past her to their right where Yuna sat with the village elder and a few others. "She knows what she has to do, so she just does her best to handle it. Her father, High Summoner Braska, was the one who banished Sin last time. She's following in his footsteps."

Danielle sighed, still staring at the fire and thinking of her own life, of her own parents. She never knew her real mother and father, and her adoptive parents were gone too. All she had left was her sister, who she wasn't even sure she would be able to see again. Her life was far from being normal, just as Yuna's was. But Yuna had so much more resting on her shoulders than Danielle.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't see Yuna as she came to sit down beside her. Lulu rose and walked away, letting them converse without anyone listening in. Danielle blinked a few times, watching Lulu leave before looking at the summoner. "Um, hi," she said a bit nervously.

Yuna giggled slightly. "So, you're Danielle? I heard a bit about you from Lulu, but not much. She told me how you couldn't really remember anything about your past and how you were coming with us to Luca."

Danielle rubbed the back of her neck slightly. "Ah, yeah, I am." She noticed Yuna staring at the sword on her back, and Danielle pulled off the scabbard. "Want to look at it?" she asked, wondering why it had caught Yuna's eye.

When the summoner nodded, she handed it over to her. Yuna examined the hilt, particularly the emerald that was in the middle of it. That was when Danielle frowned. An emerald? She could have sworn that when she had first found it, it was just a plain clear crystal. "That's weird… There's something familiar about this sword, but I know I've never seen it before."

Danielle rubbed her chin, confused. She herself had sensed a power in it when she first located it in the Guardian City. How could Yuna also sense that power? It didn't make any sense! "I found it not too long ago. It's pretty strange. I've never seen the design on the blade before. It looks like a rune or something." Yuna pulled it out, gasping as she stared down at the engraving in the metal. "This… is the emblem of Yevon!" Yuna looked up at her. "But how could you find this?"

Danielle shrugged. "Beats me. I have no idea where it came from. It was broken on the sand when I woke up on the beach earlier."

Yuna put the sword back in its sheath and handed it to Danielle. "Strange… Perhaps someone in Luca can repair it for you. I suggest bringing it with you until you find someone with Yevon who knows what it is." Danielle strapped the scabbard onto her back, and Yuna sighed softly. "It's so strange… Tidus shows up, and then you, both having similar stories of not knowing how you got here… But regardless, I'm happy to have both of you traveling with me, even for a little while."

Danielle smiled gently. "Yeah. I'm actually looking forward to this." She stared up at the stars, surprised at how different the constellations were from what she would always see in the Rhode Island night sky. "An adventure. Heh…"

Yuna also gazed up at the sky, smiling. "You're right." She looked back at Danielle. "It was you who was in the temple, wasn't it?" she whispered, making Danielle's eyes widen in surprise. "I saw someone in there, watching us. I thought I was seeing things at first, but now I know I wasn't. You were in there, too."

Danielle glanced around quickly, hoping that no one overheard, and leaned in to whisper to Yuna. "But… how did you know? How could you tell it was me?"

Yuna shrugged her shoulders. "I'm… not sure. I could tell someone was there watching us, because there was a strange power I felt from that alcove. And then when I saw you outside with the crowd, I felt it again. I wasn't too sure then, but now… Now I'm positive."

Danielle hung her head a bit, rubbing the back of it. "Well, you're right. It was me in there…"

"What were you doing, though?" Yuna asked curiously.

Danielle stared into her different colored eyes, torn between telling her the truth or just lying. She chose the second option. "Well, I was just curious as to what was inside. I snuck in to take a look around. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my curiosity get the best of me."

Yuna was silent for a second or to before answering. "It's okay. The same happened to Tidus. Except that he was worried about me and went in to see if I was okay." She smiled a bit. "Well, we should get some rest now. We have to leave first thing in the morning. I'm sure there's an empty bed in the inn for you."

Danielle got to her feet, stretching out a bit and nodding as Yuna rose also. "Okay. Well, nice getting to know you. See you in the morning."

Yuna bowed slightly. "Good night, Danielle."

Danielle watched Yuna walk away before turning towards the inn, once more sinking into her own thoughts and memories.

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_Blades flashed in the darkness. Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal. Two warriors fought, their skills equal to each others'. A young girl and a man dressed in strange clothes fought in the heart of a dark city that no one had lived in for millennia. The man suddenly made a vicious assault, but the girl blocked each one until her blade shattered from the power of the man's attacks. She fell to the ground as the man stood over her and raised his sword. "Now, you 'Guardian of Light', return from the darkness from whence you came!"_

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Danielle bolted upright in bed, glancing around quickly. The inn was empty. Danielle sighed and tried to shake off the lingering memories of the dream, wiping the trickles of cold sweat that were on her forehead. She rolled out of bed, wondering what time it was. If nobody was inside, it must mean they were ready to leave. Sighing, she grabbed her scabbard and heading out of the inn. The others were gathered at the entrance of the village. As she ran up, Tidus grinned at her. "And they said I slept in late."

"Whatever…" she muttered, putting her hands behind her head. "So, we're leaving now?"

Yuna nodded. "Yes. We have to head to the pier. It's dangerous with all the fiends though."

"We can take them! Just lemme at them!" Tidus shouted, raising his fist in the air.

Wakka shook his head. "You sure are confident, ya?"

Danielle chuckled under her breath and followed after them, staying back and watching as they fought against the monsters on the island. She learned a lot about the creatures, actually. Ones called Flans were resistant to physical attacks, while some could only be hit with projectiles or magic. They were passing through some old ruins when the blue-furred creature Danielle had seen yesterday jumped down and attacked Tidus. It wasn't until Yuna stopped them did Danielle learn he was a Ronso named Kimahri. He had been with Yuna since she was a child, Lulu had explained. The Ronso were a powerful race that lived on Mt. Gagazet and served as its guardians. Danielle listened intently, surprised. This world was so amazing compared to what she always knew…

"We're here," Lulu said softly, snapping Danielle out of her thoughts. Villagers were gathered at the pier to see them off. As Yuna spoke with them one last time, Danielle boarded the ship with the others, crossing over to the starboard railing and leaning against it. She was excited, no doubt about it, but something didn't seem right and she couldn't get it out of her mind. What was it about the sea that made fear stir within her? What was lying in wait out there? As Yuna boarded and the ship set out, Danielle did her best to ignore the feeling deep inside. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? With a sigh, she closed her eyes. After a while, she noticed that the waves were growing intense. She opened her eyes once more and leaned over the railing, looking down.

The waves grew in intensity, and Danielle had to grip the rail tight so she wouldn't fall. She couldn't really see anything, her eyes blurry from the stinging water that was in them, but she heard the shout that soon followed. It was filled with fear, chilling her to the bone. "Sin!" She was driven to her knees, suddenly feeling weak. Looking up, she stared at the massive fin that rose from the sea. There was something about it, something dark, that drained every last bit of strength and will from her body. Small objects were launched from it, and one headed straight for her. Strong arms grabbed her, pulling her backwards. She realized numbly that it was Kimahri.

Danielle couldn't really tell what was going on. She just knew that she was pulled over near the bridge. Yuna looked back at her as she stepped towards the fin and the creatures that had come aboard the ship. "Danielle, we must fight Sin. Please, take cover!"

Danielle looked at her friend, feeling helpless. She couldn't help them fight Sin in her state. "I… Okay. Be careful, Yuna…" As the summoner turned away, Danielle knew that they were in for a rough time. She had to do something…


	3. Kiryu, Master of the Skies

Chapter 3: Kiryu, Master of the Skies

Danielle watched the others fight against Sin's monsters, but they were getting beaten by the monsters. When the group on the deck as defeated, more would take their place. "Yuna, summon Valefor!" Wakka shouted, throwing his ball at another of the monsters and killing it.

"I can't! He's too weak from fighting the garuda we encountered earlier!" she replied, casting a spell to heal Tidus. Wakka muttered darkly under his breath, taking out another creature just to have more come in.

Danielle grew worried. Yuna couldn't keep casting those healing spells, and the creatures on the deck just kept on coming. They would shoot down from Sin's fin, so if they hit that… But that would leave them wide open to the monsters. There had to be something she could do to help. But what? She didn't have a weapon, and she wasn't exactly a magic user like Lulu and Yuna. So what could she do? The anger and helplessness built up inside, and it was all she could do to stop herself from just shouting and hitting something. That was when she heard a voice from all around her, whispering softly.

_Summon him. Call the aeon of the skies._

Her eyes went wide as an ancient power flowed through her body. It was the same power she had felt within the temple, but much stronger. Warmth spread all through her, and Danielle closed her eyes, knowing what she had to do. As the green symbol that represented Besaid appeared, spheres of light shot out from the ground into the sky. Danielle tilted her head to look up, watching in awe as a winged beast, the aeon Valefor, flew down towards the ship. He hovered beside her, and while she was looking up at his face, she could feel the stares of the people around her. A name came to mind, and she whispered it softly.

"Kiryu." The aeon nodded its head slightly and flew up in front of Yuna's group. It sent a sonic blast at the massive fin that rose out of the water and flew over one of the monsters on the deck's attacks.

"Pull back!" Danielle heard Yuna say. "Valefor can dodge the Sinscales' attacks. You don't need to fight anymore."

Danielle thought hard. Could Kiryu really do this fight on his own? She had to have faith that the aeon could win. The Valefor flew over the creatures called Sinscales and ripped at the fin's flesh with his talons. This pattern of attacking and avoiding the Sinscales continued, but nothing seemed to be happening. Danielle started to get worried. A harpoon was stuck to Sin's fin, so it was dragging them with it. They had to stop it soon before something happened. "Finish the fight! Use his Overdrive!" Yuna shouted.

Danielle looked over at her, confused. Overdrive? What the heck was that? But her aeon understood, and he nodded his head. Energy built up in his mouth, and a thing ray shout out across Sin's fin. All along the line it cut, bursts of fire shot up, engulfing Sin's flesh. Sin jerked away, tearing off the harpoon launcher that had been attached to it. Everything fell silent, and it seemed that everyone was safe. Everyone except Tidus. He was nowhere in sight. Wakka dove off the side of the ship into the water, apparently going after his friend.

Now everyone looked back at Danielle and Kiryu, who was now hovering beside her. Danielle's mouth went dry, and she struggled to try and think of what to stay. Kiryu looked Danielle in the eye and let out a low crooning sound before he flew off. As he left, she suddenly felt fatigued and fell to her hands and knees. Summoning the aeon had sapped her strength, and her body wasn't prepared to handle something like this.

Gentle hands helped her to stand, leading her over to lean against the bulkhead of the bridge. There was a strange warmth throughout her body, and her tiredness went away slightly. Shaking her head, she looked up to see Yuna with her rod in hand. On either side of her were Lulu and Kimahri. While the Ronso's face betrayed none of his emotions, both Lulu and Yuna both looked uncertain and confused.

"Why didn't you tell us you were a summoner…?" Yuna asked softly.

"I… I didn't know… I didn't know I could actually do it…" As Danielle stared down at the deck, feeling numb. "I thought the fayth was just saying stuff… Saying I was a summoner and I had to help Spira… I really didn't think it was true…"

"The fayth? You saw the fayth of Besaid Temple?" Lulu's eyes narrowed slightly. "We only knew of one summoner who was entering the temple, and that's Yuna."

Yuna looked thoughtful for a moment. "So when you were entering the temple, you saw the fayth, too…?

With a soft sight, Danielle stared up into the blue sky. "Yeah, I did…"

"But why didn't you tell us?"

Danielle hesitated. "Because…" She struggled to think of the right words. "I wasn't sure at all… I thought you would be mad because I hid it from you guys…"

Yuna stared intently at her, looking hurt. "Maybe we would have, but not as much as us finding it out this way. You can trust us, Danielle."

Signing heavily, Danielle turned away, walking slowly towards the cabin. Yeah, maybe Yuna was right… But she had probably lost her friends' trust now. It wouldn't surprise her. How could you trust a person who didn't even trust herself?

"Danielle…" As Yuna said her name, she hung her head low, descending down the steps into the cabin. She couldn't face them now…Not after what happened. They would be in Kilika soon. When they arrived, Danielle would quietly leave them, never troubling them again.

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Kilika was a sad sight to behold. Sin had wreaked havoc on the small port. Homes were destroyed, bridges and walkways damaged… Danielle stared at it all with a heavy heart. Regardless of their attempts to stop Sin, he still came to Kilika and destroyed nearly everything. Both Wakka and Tidus had been forced to fight off a creature known as a Sinspawn underwater, so they had been delayed from arriving for a good while. But even if that didn't happen, would they still have been able to make a difference?

An elder came over to their group, speaking to Yuna about some sort of "sending". She agreed to perform it, and he lead her away. Danielle stayed back as they walked away before turning down another path. No one noticed, at least that's what she hoped.

Silently, she walked over to some woods, looking around. There was a cliff edge nearby, and from there, she could see Yuna and the others in the distance. She lay down on the grass, arms folded under her chin, and watched with curiosity. Yuna walked out into the water, and as Danielle squinted to see better, she realized that Yuna was walking _on _the water.

"The heck…?" she muttered in surprise. "How's she doing that…?" Danielle watched with amazement as Yuna began to perform some sort of dance. Little spheres of light that looked like fireflies began to fly up from the caskets that the people of Kilika released, drifting around the area as Yuna continued to dance. Danielle felt a sorrow deep within. All of these people, dead… And Sin would continue killing, never stopping until a summoner defeated him… She felt more determined than ever to help stop him. Even if no one trusted her, she would still fight. She couldn't just let this continue happening.

Danielle continued to watch silently, frowning a bit. She heard something, voices, all around her. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore them. It was like that day a few weeks back, when she had discovered the truth about her past and her role in the battle with the Ancients. But that was just a side-effect of seeing the monsters. Defeating them had made it go away. Now though… It was something different.

Instead of fighting the voices and just making them work, she allowed them to speak, listening intently for some sort of information, something she could use to find out why she was hearing them. Yeah, it was a long shot, but it was worth a try. What she heard surprised her. It was people, bringing their angry requests to her. They were mad at Sin for taking their lives. They wanted revenge. They wanted her to kill the beast. Their combined anger was so overwhelming that Danielle felt dizzy and sick. It took all her will not to lose her lunch as she tried to shut out the voices once more. Then they stopped, just like that.

Taking deep breaths, Danielle slowly stood up, shaking. Now she was really scared. Never had anything like that happened. And to make matters worse, she heard the familiar moan of a zombie. Blood running cold, she turned around, facing the mummified beast that had appeared before her. The smell of rotting flesh washed over her, making her gag, but she slowly backed away, tried to calm down enough to size up the situation.

She knew what one of Xel'lotath's servants could do. It was dangerous to fight hand to hand, but she couldn't just leave it here to go into Kilika and terrorize the people. With her back to the cliff edge, she dashed forward to get past the creature. Its rotting nails found her arm, cutting a large gash up her forearm. Feeling lightheaded, she brought up her leg and kicked the creature in the back, sending it forward towards the cliff. It was almost off the edge. Seeing her chance, Danielle drove her elbow deep into its back, sending it plummeting into the water.

Danielle fell backwards to a sitting position on the ground, catching her breath. "Why was a Xel'lotath zombie here? There's no possible way she could have called that thing. _None _of the Ancients could!" She rubbed her eyes, shaking once more. She could feel the blood trickling down her arm, could feel the stinging pain of her injury, but she didn't pay attention to it. Everything was happening too fast again. She had to slow down, try and put together the pieces.

The Ancients had influence in this world, too. One was dead, another was bound beyond the Veil of Reality, and the last was bound within the soul of a living human. There was no possible way that they should be able to summon their minions to this world, yet she had just encountered one. Was something happening that the remaining two were gaining power once more? "No way to know," she whispered. "No way can I risk using magick, and there's no way to contact Alex or even the spirits of the Chosen. I'm all alone on this one."

Danielle let out a frustrated sigh. First it was this whole deal with being a summoner, then she had to deal with her only friends here not trusting her anymore, and now the Ancients were back! She was really getting sick and tired of this. She sat there, hands clasped together, her head hanging down and resting on them. Confused thoughts swirled around in her head, but she made no effort to sort through them. She just wanted to slow down, to rest, to not have to put up with this burden…

She had no idea how long she had been there, eyes closed. But when she finally opened them, the first things she saw were the two thin lines that marked the scars on both of her wrists. Everything else slipped out of her mind as she looked at them, recalling that dark day when she had just wanted it all to end. And she had tried to make it stop herself…

"Danielle?" She didn't look up, but she recognized the voice of Yuna. A tear slid down her face as the memories came back. Alex, screaming her name, the pain that was followed by numbness throughout her whole body…

Yuna laid her hand on Danielle's shoulder, and as she knelt beside her, the grief and sorrow Danielle had held inside came rushing out, and she began to cry.


	4. Dark Secrets

Roisin Midnight – Yes, there is. It's called Eternal Darkness: The Coming Darkness. I took my character from that story and put her in this one, and it takes place a few weeks after The Coming Darkness. That's the story that tells you all what happened with my character and her sister in their struggle to uncover the truth of their grandfather's death and their fight against the Ancients.

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Chapter 4: Dark Secrets

Yuna looked over at Danielle, speaking softly. "What's wrong? And what happened to your arm…?"

Danielle looked up, noticing Kimahri standing nearby with his arms folded. While the Ronso was silent, he also seemed worried. She was overcome by a fresh wave of sadness. Even though she had lied to them, they still cared for her. She didn't deserve it. "I was… attacked," she whispered. "I just came up here to spend some time alone, and some monster came at me."

"But why are you crying?"

Danielle looked down at her wrists, the scar tissue a painful reminder of what she had done. Yuna's fingers gently traced the line on her left wrist, a concerned expression on her face. "What happened, Danielle?" she asked quietly.

Danielle's voice was heavy with sadness. "I… tried to make everything stop… the pain, the sorrow… the Darkness… I was stupid…" She looked up at her friend. "If I told you that I'm not from here, from Spira… What would you think?"

Yuna looked confused by Danielle's sudden change in topic. "I don't understand… Are you saying you're from Zanarkand like Tidus?"

Danielle shook her head, frustrated. "No. I mean a whole different world completely, one nothing like Spira. That's why I don't know anything about this place, why I had no idea what Sin or Yevon or pretty much everything was at first."

Yuna seemed to think about this. "It does make sense, but… How did you get here?"

Danielle closed her eyes, her voice taking on a quiet tone. "Beneath my grandfather's mansion are the ruins of an ancient city… I felt a dark power from within it the other day, so I checked it out. I was attacked by a powerful man who used some sort of dark magic more powerful than anything I had ever seen. He defeated me and said something about my sins devouring me. That was when I blacked out and woke up later on Besaid." She let out a heavy sigh as she opened her eyes and stared out towards the setting sun. "I just want to go home, but I don't know if I can or how to get back."

Shaking her head, Yuna spoke with a heavy tone. "I wish you hadn't hidden this from me in the first place… But I promise I'll help you find a way home, okay?"

Danielle looked up at her, surprised. "Really…?" Yuna nodded. "I… Thank you, Yuna. I'm in your debt."

With a gently smile, she stood up and held a hand out to Danielle to help her to her feet. The smile on Yuna's face fell away as she saw Danielle's arm. With a wave of her staff, she used her Cure magic, but nothing happened. The summoner frowned, obviously concerned now as she examined the claw marks. "It's not healing, but why?"

"Fiend may stop healing," a deep but gently voice suggested. Danielle realized with a start that it was Kimahri who spoke. "Danielle rest, not fight. Wound heal in time."

Yuna nodded. "Kimahri's right. Don't worry about fighting fiends. We'll help you to Kilika Temple. After that, we'll go to Luca. Maybe there you'll find guardians to help." She hesitated for a second. "Danielle, are you going to travel to Zanarkand to receive the Final Aeon?"

Danielle looked out at the ruined port of Kilika, thinking of all those who had been killed by Sin and who would die if it wasn't stopped. "Yeah, I am."

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Lulu carefully wound the bandage around Danielle's arm, and Danielle did her best not to cringe. It wasn't the pain that made her want to flinch, but Wakka. "That was a stupid thing to do, ya? That fiend coulda killed you!"

"Wakka, enough," Lulu said sharply. "I'm sure she's beat herself up enough. You don't need to do the same."

Wakka looked like he wanted to say something else, but he just dropped it. "Okay. Sorry, Danielle. I just don't want you getting hurt, that's all."

"It's okay. I understand," Danielle replied with a grin that soon changed into a grimace as Lulu tightly bandaged a particularly deep area of her injury. Her friend was soon finished, and the spellcaster nodded to Yuna.

The summoner smiled at them. "Well, it's time that we all got some rest. Good-night, everyone." Yuna turned and walked to her room, closing the door behind her. Lulu rested a hand on Danielle's shoulder. There was a solemn look on her face.

"Come. We shall share a room. There's something I wish to discuss with you." Danielle nodded and stood up from the chair she was sitting in, following after Lulu. She said good-night to Wakka and Tidus as they passed by and entered the room that she was going to share with Lulu. "Danielle, are you sure about this?" she asked, sitting down on her bed.

Danielle was slightly confused as she sat on her own bed. Yuna had told them about Danielle not being from Spira, and they had taken it rather well, actually. "Sure about what?"

"You know what happens when a summoner receives the Final Aeon in Zanarkand. If you do this, you will never be able to return to your world. Are you willing to give up your life to stop Sin?"

Danielle hesitated, really not sure of what to say. She hadn't really given it any thought. Lulu had a point, though. "I… I want to help Spira. I can't let Sin continue killing countless innocents. I know my sister's waiting for me back home, but I have to do something here. I can't just stand by and watch people die."

Lulu nodded slowly. "I understand. Just give it some thought. If you change your mind, I won't be disappointed with you. I just believe that you should consider this in advance."

Danielle rubbed her eyes and laid down in her bed, aware that Lulu was still staring at her. She went over her friend's words in her mind. Would she give up her life to save Spira, or would she just let some other summoner, possibly Yuna, die instead?

_No… I've gotta help. But… can I really do this to Alex? We've both just lost our grandfather, and she very nearly lost me. With all that's happened, it could push her over the edge…_

Danielle gently held the necklace under her shirt, caressing the ring that had belonged to her grandfather, Edward. "What should I do…?" she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Follow your heart, Danielle," Lulu said quietly.

"_For it shall lead you through the darkness." _

As Danielle heard the soothing voice of her grandfather, the one who had called her from the darkness of her own heart that fateful night not long ago, she felt a calm inside of her. Slowly, she sank into sleep.

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_Danielle's arms shook as she pushed hard against her opponent's blade with her own. He was incredibly strong, and she wasn't able to hold off his blows. He kicked her hard in the chest, slamming her into a wall. In an instant, his hand was around her throat, crushing it tightly. As she struggled, she finally saw the face of the man who attacked her from under his hood. It was a familiar face, one that she never expected to see again._

"_D-Dev…"_

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Danielle jumped awake, suddenly drenched in water. She looked around quickly, spotting Lulu and a giggling Yuna. She rolled out of her now-soaking wet bed, wringing out her shirt. "What was that for? Couldn't you wake me up the normal way?"

There were faint traces of a smirk on Lulu's face. "No."

Yuna smiled at her. "You wouldn't wake up, so Lulu decided to try using magic."

Danielle shook her head, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "I still say you two didn't have to drench me like that."

"Sorry," Yuna apologized, "but we're about to leave for the temple. Also, Kimahri brought your sword to a blacksmith in town so that it could be repaired. They were more than happy to do a favor for a summoner." She turned around, heading out the door. "Well, let's head for Kilika Temple. We have to pass through the forest to reach it, and it's full of fiends. We'll deal with them for you, though." Yuna left the room, and Danielle was about to follow when Lulu put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Tell me… That fiend that attacked you yesterday… What was it?" Danielle hesitated, glancing down at her bandaged arm. "A fiend that prevents healing is a dangerous foe, Danielle. I've never heard of such a thing in Spira. Did it come from your world?"

Danielle shook her head. "No… And I can't risk telling you what it was, Lulu. But darkness is closing in on Spira, and that thing I fought is possibly just the new beginning of a long fight I thought was over…" Danielle looked back at Lulu as she walked out of the door, noticing her friend's confused look. "We're dealing with something older than Sin itself, and it's something I have to handle on my own."

Danielle walked out of the room, recalling the fight with the Xel'lotath zombie yesterday. What if more really did come? What if Horrors, Guardians, and Gatekeepers came? Spira wouldn't stand a chance.

Her right hand throbbed painfully, and she clenched it into a fist, the fingerless gloves she wore hiding a painful scar on her hand. The Ancients… Her fight was not yet over. The war had continued.


	5. Sinspawn

Roisin Midnight – Okay, I'll keep that in mind as I'm doing the new chapters and stuff. writes down More fighting. Gotcha. :P I won't forget.

Chapter 5: Sinspawn

The massive fiend, Lord Ochu, brought its tentacles crushing down towards Tidus. He was thrown backwards, nearly losing his grip on his sword. "Ow! Stupid plant!" he shouted angrily, jumping to his feet. Energy built up around him as he ran forward, performing flips to gain momentum before bringing his sword down hard. The blade cut deeply into Lord Ochu, and its tentacles flailed around its body as it screeched in pain. Slowly, its body faded away, "pyreflies" flying out from it.

Danielle grinned at him, Lulu, and Kimahri, the ones who had killed the fiend. She had stayed back with Yuna and Wakka, who would occasionally swap places with the ones on the frontline. Gatta and Luzzu, the two Crusaders that had warned them to be careful, came up once again. "I see you defeated Lord Ochu. I expected you would." Luzzu smiled grimly. "So tell me, who is your new companion? I don't recall seeing her on Besaid."

Yuna nodded to Danielle. "This is Danielle. She's with us until we get to Luca."

Luzzu looked over at her, apparently sizing her up. "Well, Miss Danielle, I can tell you that you are truly in good company."

"Yeah! Lady Yuna won't let anything happen to you!" Gatta said with a grin.

Luzzu chuckled heartily. "Gatta is right. Well, Lady Yuna, we must depart. Farewell and good luck. Come, Gatta."

The younger Crusader saluted him. "Yes, sir!" As the pair walked off, Gatta's voice could still be heard as he sung a song happily.

They continued on, and Danielle wondered why Yuna hadn't told Luzzu about her being a summoner. Was Yuna doing this because she wasn't from Spira? She really had no idea, but she was interested in finding out.

"Once we climb these steps, we'll reach the temple," Yuna told them, snapping Danielle out of her thoughts.

Wakka smirked at Tidus and the Besaid Aurochs. "How about a race to the top, ya? I bet I'll beat you!"

Tidus grinned. "You're on!" They all lined up along the steps, Yuna counting off for them.

Danielle merely watched as Yuna took off, and the others followed quickly. This left Lulu, Kimahri, and her by themselves. "What did you mean earlier?" Lulu asked Danielle. "What're you hiding from us?"

Kimahri looked over at her, too, and Danielle hung her head. "I'm doing this to protect all of you. Lulu, nearly everyone who gets involved in this ends up dying. I lost nearly all of my family except for my sister to these things. Even _I _was nearly killed." Her hand gently traced the deep scar on her cheek. "If I lost you guys because I told you about these things, I could never forgive myself. Please, try to understand—" she was cut off by a loud scream from the top of the steps, and her eyes went wide.

"Yuna!" Lulu and she shouted at the same time. All three of them charged up the steps, coming to a large clearing. A strange, massive fiend was there, its tentacles waving about in the air. The Aurochs had taken off back down the steps, and Tidus and Wakka were pulling out their weapons. Danielle saw that tentacles were heading for Yuna, and she ran in front of them. As they struck her body, cutting deep gashes into it, they also wrapped tightly around her.

She cried out in pain as the monster crushed her. Danielle couldn't breathe, couldn't even shout for help. She was lifted up off the ground, starting to lose consciousness. That was when the tentacles suddenly flung her into the ground. A great burst of pain lanced through her body, and as the air rushed from her lungs and darkness engulfed her vision, she whispered the name of her aeon. "Ki…ryu…"

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Tidus watched the Sinspawn throw Danielle into the ground and felt a surge of anger. The kid had been protecting Yuna, and this was what happened to her. Brotherhood in hand, he rushed at the tentacles, slashing through them. There was a loud screech, and as he looked over his shoulder, he saw a second group of tentacles fade away. The strange sphere-like body of the Sinspawn opened up.

"Let's finish Geneaux—" Wakka was cut off by the arrival of Valefor, and Tidus looked back at Yuna. She was crouched down by Danielle, trying to heal her.

"Yuna, did you summon your aeon?" Tidus asked her.

The summoner shook her head. "No… It's Danielle's aeon!"

The Valefor glowed with energy, and he flew into the air. A white symbol appeared in front of him and it began to spin quickly as multiple blasts of energy shot out at Geneaux. Tidus watched in awe as the blasts tore through the Sinspawn, making it dissolve into pyreflies. The Valefor landed near Yuna, and Tidus approached her along with her guardians.

Danielle's injuries were nothing more than a few faint scars now. She groaned, coming around slowly. Her aeon nudged her face with its head, and Danielle opened her eyes.

"Hey, you okay?" Wakka asked her.

Danielle nodded slightly, slowly sitting up with Yuna placing a hand on her back to help. She rubbed her head and looked around, apparently surprised to see her aeon. "What happened…?"

"I think you managed to summon your aeon before you were knocked out. He finished off that Sinspawn for us," Tidus explained.

Danielle gently stroked the side of her Valefor's face. "Thanks, Kiryu. You can go now." The aeon bowed its head and departed. Both Tidus and Yuna helped Danielle to stand. Tidus looked up at the last flight of stairs to the temple and heard Danielle say, "Well, let's get that aeon."

Yuna nodded and smiled. "Right," she replied before going up the steps. Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri followed her, but Tidus stopped when he noticed Danielle had fallen behind. She was staring out over the cliff at the sea, and it was only when Tidus called her name did she turn around.

"Sorry," she whispered softly, proceeding up the steps past a very confused Tidus. He stared at her for a second before going up after her. What was going on?

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Danielle was silent as a summoner from Kilika, Dona was her name, taunted the group. That was when Dona turned to her. "And who are you? You're too young to be a guardian. Are you some kid who just wanted to tag along for fun?"

Tidus jumped in before Danielle could speak. "Danielle's a summoner, so I'd take that back if I were you!"

Dona looked surprised. "A summoner? Then perhaps a contest of aeons." A smirk appeared on her face. "Let us see how great of a summoner a child like you really is." Danielle followed her outside and watched as a strange beast was summoned. "Choose your aeon to fight Ifrit."

"You can do it, Danielle!" she heard Wakka cheer. She gave them a grin as she closed her eyes. In seconds, she felt Kiryu land beside her, and she gently stroked his head.

As her hand fell away, the Valefor rose into the sky. "Okay, Kiryu… Let's show them what we can do!" Kiryu flew at Ifrit, tearing at his skin with sharp talons. Ifrit tried to swipe at the airborne aeon, but Kiryu merely rose above the claws. This pattern of attacking continued, and Dona was apparently annoyed.

"Meteor Strike, Ifrit!" A fireball slammed into the Valefor's chest, nearly knocking him to the ground. He managed to stay in the air, using his Sonic Wings attack on the enemy aeon. But as another of the attacks hit him, he fell to the ground. Ifrit rushed forward and slashed with his claw, making Kiryu cry out in pain.

Dona wore a confident smirk on her face. "Just give up, and your Valefor will be spared the pain."

Danielle's body shook with rage. As she glared at Dona, Kiryu slowly rose into the air. "No one hurts my aeon… Kiryu!" She pointed at Ifrit. "Energy Blast!" The air around Kiryu crackled with energy as the Besaid emblem appeared in front of him. Beams of energy shot rapidly at Ifrit, hitting him so hard that he was thrown backwards to the ground. As the attack ended, Ifrit let out a weak roar and faded away.

Kiryu's victorious cry rang out in the silence that followed as he flew away. Dona, looking angry and surprised, approached Danielle. "Impressive. You are skilled, Summoner Danielle, but I will not go so easy on you next time." She turned away. "Barthello! Let's go." Her guardian looked back at them before running off quickly after Dona.

"All right! You did it!" Tidus shouted as he and the others came up to her. "You really let her have it!" Wakka nodded in agreement with a grin.

"You truly have great skills," Lulu remarked. "Your second time commanding Kiryu in battle, and yet you manage to beat a summoner who has trained years to call the aeons."

Danielle wiped a trickle of sweat from her forehead. "Well, it's not exactly easy for me to summon compared to others, but I manage it."

"Well, Summoner Dona was put in her place. And tomorrow, we're going to do the same to those Luca Goers!" Wakka thrust his fist into the air. "Come on! Let's get the aeon here and head for Luca."

As they re-entered the temple, Danielle thought about the battle. Dona didn't seem to care much about her aeon like Danielle did. And when Danielle's feelings for her aeon were strongest, he was able to perform his strongest Overdrive. Was she starting to develop a bond with him? It had to be.

Danielle forced the thoughts to the back of her head and followed the others into the Cloister of Trials.

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A figure watched from near one of the statues as the group entered. Its golden-yellow eyes were barely visible from under its hood. The figure watched one person in particular: the young girl from the world it had been to just before this one. She had done better than the figure expected. Maybe it was time to test the skills of her and her companions.

As two humans passed through into the Cloister of Trials, the figure slid out of the shadows and darted out of the temple. People shot confused glances at it, not sure of who it was or what it was doing. As it entered the forests, it leapt impossibly high into the air and grappled onto a tree with sharp claws, its instincts taking over completely.


	6. Vulcain, Ruler of Hellfire

Roisin Midnight: ; Actually, when I write this on paper in class, I'm usually lazy and just skip the Cloister of Trials. Mainly cuz I never remember what goes on in them right at the moment I'm writing. XD Also, there's the fact I limit it to six pages a chapter on paper, so I don't have a whole lot of room for it. But when it comes to the computer version, I try and make it longer and more interesting. As for Auron… Well, I didn't have him and Danielle interact too much when they first see each other, but I'll have that changed when I type up that chapter on my PC. I try and update every day, but it depends on if Mom lets me on the computer ;

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Chapter 6: Vulcain, Ruler of Hellfire

Danielle looked down at the statue in front of her. Another person, cursed to exist forever in a statue, never to be allowed the eternal rest of the dead. Why did they choose to do this? Sin was unstoppable, so why continue to sacrifice summoners to stop it for a few years when it would be better to find a way to kill it for good?

Maybe it was just because she was from Earth instead of Spira. She hadn't suffered through Sin's wrath like the people here had. With a soft sigh, Danielle looked up just in time to see the fayth appear. "You have done well, Roivas. For one not of Spira, you are truly a great summoner."

Danielle shook her head. "I don't get it. Why me? I just want to go home, not have to fight a thousand-year-old monster that's probably more powerful than the Ancients themselves."

"It is not your choice. Just as you were chosen to fight the Ancients, also were you chosen to fight Sin. A being far greater than any other, even the Ancients and Sin, has chosen you, Roivas, to help bring about the defeat of darkness."

Confused thoughts swirled around her mind. The greatest being of all? What was he talking about? "Who chose me?"

"You will discover that in time. Now, take my power and use it. And do not forget that which has vanquished the darkness many times before. You are never alone, no matter how strong the darkness may seem." The fayth flew into her, causing Danielle to let out a cry of surprise and fall to her knees. She gasped for air, feeling a burning power within her.

"_Fear not, for I shall keep the darkness away."_

Danielle looked up, her eyes wide. That voice… could it be…? "Grandpa?" Danielle whispered. The room was silent. She shook her head as she slowly stood up. Her grandfather had died nearly a month ago. There was no way it could be him.

"_You have such little faith, my dear. Have you forgotten what happened? I promised to watch over you and Alex. I shall not go back on that."_

Danielle felt an icy hand stroke her cheek, but she didn't move. It really was him!" How are you in Spira? And Alex! Is she okay?"

A ghostly blue figure walked past her, and she knew it was Edward Roivas immediately. While his eyes weren't there, he still had the familiar appearance of the man she had barely known, but was the only true blood relative of her she had known other than her sister.

"_Your sister is fine, Danielle. As for how I am here, I'm not bound to one world as a spirit. I may go wherever I wish. But for now, I must depart. Remember that the only way to defeat the darkness is to find the light within. You may believe that the darkness has engulfed it, but it hasn't. You have a strength inside of you far greater than what you know. You just have to know how to use it. Be careful, my child."_

As he vanished, Danielle grew confused once more. First the fayth, and now her grandfather. What were they trying to tell her? All she could figure out from their words was that there was someone very powerful that had defeated evil time and time again, and that she had some great power hidden inside of her. But what was she supposed to do? She didn't have the slightest clue on where to find this person or how to use her power.

"Apparently, they think I'll figure it out on my own. Just great. Exactly what I needed right now." With one last look at the statue of Ifrit, she turned around and exited the chamber, wondering what the heck was going on.

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Kilika Forest seemed oddly silent. There were no animals about. Not even fiends could be found. But Danielle was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice anything until Kimahri held out a hand to stop her. Danielle looked around, expecting one of the others to question the Ronso, when she saw that they were gone. "Yu—" Kimahri now put his hand over her mouth and shook his head.

"Something here. Danielle keep quiet." As he lowered his hand, his eyes scanned the area. Fear crept through Danielle. What was here? And where were Yuna and the others?

Leaves rustled nearby, and in an instant, Kimahri's lance was pointed in that direction. Nothing came out. Danielle swallowed hard, growing even more fearful. She could feel a presence. It was something evil. Pure evil.

A shadow darted up a tree, actually _climbing _it. "Kimahri!" Danielle shouted as it dove at him with vicious looking claws outstretched. The Ronso knocked it away with his lance, positioning himself between Danielle and the creature. As it stood up straight, Danielle felt truly terrified by what she saw.

Its skin was black all over. Its human-like face had golden-yellow eyes and white fangs. While most of its body was hidden beneath a black tattered cloak, its arms and legs were visible. Its hands and feet consisted of deadly sharp claws, and the last visible feature on the monster was a reptilian tail.

With an inhuman hiss, it rushed at Kimahri so fast that Danielle could barely track it. He was tackled to the ground, wrestling with the monster. Danielle's eyes widened in fear as she cried his name. The beast looked up at her, and its tail grew in length, slamming into her chest and knocking her into a tree. She grunted in pain, head hitting the trunk. The monster had crossed over to her with one movement, and as it raised its claws, Danielle shut her eyes. That was when she felt something hold her tight.

Danielle opened her eyes once more and saw Kimahri there, shielding her from the blow. He slumped over, a massive gash on his back. Danielle looked at the creature, which was licking the blood from its claws with an evil smile. Its tail elongated, wrapping around Danielle and pinning her arms to her sides. As it pulled her over to it, the beast used one claw to slowly trace down the side of her face. A trickle of blood dripped down her face, and its tongue licked up every bit of blood from the cut.

Trembling in fear, Danielle could only watch as it leaned its head in, fangs pricking the skin just between her shoulder and neck, hot breath washing over her flesh. That was when a ball slammed into the monster's head, distracting it. "Let her go, you creep!"

Danielle felt hope surge through her. "Wakka!" The blitzball captain grinned, and Yuna came up beside him.

"Don't forget us!" Tidus shouted. Lulu and he came out from a group of trees. The monster looked around at them, letting out a growl. Its tail released her, but as soon as she tried to run, its claws tore down through her back. She fell to the ground, the pain bringing tears to her eyes. She tried to push herself up, her arms shaking with the effort, but couldn't. Danielle could feel clawed feet pressing down on her back, sending a fresh burst of pain through it. Tidus saw her and immediately ran forward, slashing with a quick horizontal attack. The monster jumped over it, kicking Tidus in the side of the head and sending him crashing into a tree.

The blitzer used his sword to help him stand, glaring at the monster. It was apparent that he wasn't going to give up. "You're gonna pay for that!" he shouted, rushing forward once more. Before the monster could attack him, Wakka's blitzball slammed into the side of its head, dazing it momentarily and allowing Tidus to hit it with a sword swipe. It didn't even seem faze by the cut, smashing its fist into Tidus's face and sending him to the ground, unconscious.

A bolt of lightning hit the monster, and it spun around to face Lulu. Its tail whipped out and slammed into her chest, knocking her into a tree hard enough to send splinters flying. Drool dripped from its mouth as it began to approach the Black Mage, but it was hit again with a blitzball. Annoyed, it turned to face Wakka and bounded at him, its claws tearing across his chest. As it went by, it kicked him hard in the back, and another of Yuna's guardians were down.

Danielle felt the pain in her back go away slightly, and she saw that Yuna was casting Cure. The monster spotted this also, for it went after the summoner next. "No!" Danielle shouted, anger burning inside. "I won't let you hurt any more of my friends!" The monster stopped right in front of Yuna, looking back at Danielle as she staggered to her feet. As Danielle's anger raged inside, the Kilika emblem appeared. A pillar of fire engulfed her, but while she felt the immense heat, the flames didn't hurt her. She could see an outline in front of her, and she knew what it was immediately. "Vulcain!"

The flames died away, revealing Danielle and her Ifrit. The beast darted away from Yuna towards Danielle, but Vulcain's fist knocked it away. With a screech, it grabbed onto a tree and clambered up it. It dove down at Vulcain, but he was ready. Two flaming spheres shot at the monster, engulfing it in a massive fireball. Vulcain dug his claws into the ground and pulled a huge slab of rock out. He chunked it at the monster, and a massive explosion occurred as it plummeted to the ground, making a crater as it hit.

Danielle grinned, thrusting her fist into the air. "Yeah! You did it, Vulcain!" Her smile fell away as the creature stood up once more, letting out an inhuman snarl that sent shivers up Danielle's spine. It darted at Vulcain, nothing more than a black streak as it jumped at him with such force that its claws enabled it to tear _through _her aeon.

The Ifrit roared in pain and faded away into pyreflies, and the monster landed on the ground right in front of Danielle. She fell to her knees, gasping for air from the amount of power it took to summon the aeon. "What… does it take… to kill you…?" she managed to mutter, looking up at the beast.

The creature smiled, thrusting its claws into her chest. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped open as she felt an icy chill spread from where the claws went in throughout her whole body. The creature leaned forward, whispering an answer into her ear before darkness engulfed her vision and mind. "More than what you have, Danielle."

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_The face she saw was that of her adoptive brother, the boy she had never heard from since the death of Max and Kate Sterling._

"_Long time no see, huh, sis?" he asked with a cold voice._

_Danielle stared at him with wide eyes, choking out the one word that had instantly came to her mind when she saw his face. "W-Why…?"_

"_You killed Mom and Dad!" he shouted angrily. "You murdered them!"_

"_N-No!" Danielle stammered. "I loved them… I would never hurt them!"_

"Liar!" _he roared, throwing her to the ground. "You showed them no mercy when you killed them both. Now I'll do the same to you!"_

_Danielle slowly staggered to her feet, coughing harshly. "What are you talking about? I didn't hurt them!"_

_There was a look of hatred on Devin's face, and he completely ignored her words. "You're going to die… just like the rest of the Roivas line will…"_


	7. Night Terror

Roisin Midnight – Well, I _try_ to update every day, but it is a bit difficult when I have a ton of work to do. This took so long to get done because I've had practice for the last few days, plus Disciple Now is at our church this weekend, so I'm going to that today and tomorrow. I'll try to work on more of my story, though.

(Author's Note: Yes, Night Terror's name was taken from Soul Calibur III, but not the character itself. I came up with the character in the middle of class one day trying to think of a good evil monster. :P I couldn't think of a name, so I chose that. Anyhow, I hope you like this chapter, because it was a pain to write… XX)

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Chapter 7: Night Terror

Danielle's chest hurt, bringing her out of her unconscious state. She felt something cool and wet on her forehead, and she was lying on something soft. Flashes of the battle in Kilika Forest passed through her mind. Kimahri protecting her, the other guardians struggling to fight, Vulcain, and ultimately the creature that had stabbed her with its claws.

_But…_ _I'm not dead… I should be, but I'm not dead…_

Danielle slowly forced her eyes opened, the room she was in dark. She could barely see anything from her position, but as she tried to sit up, a burst of pain shot through her injury, and a hand gently pushed her back down. "Don't try to move," a familiar voice said softly. Danielle blinked rapidly, feeling dizzy, but recalling where she had heard the voice before.

"Yuna…?" she managed to whisper. She couldn't really tell who the figure standing above her was, since shutters were closed over the windows to stop the light from coming in. But as her eyes gradually grew adjusted to the dark, she could see the summoner more clearly.

"Yes, it's me. I'm glad you're awake. For a while there, I thought we were going to lose you… Tidus, Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri are all awake now, but they've been out for a while. I did my best to heal you, but you're still in pretty bad shape. You've been running a fever, but I think it's gone now…" Yuna paused for a second, looking behind her. "Paine here fought off the creature right when you blacked out. If it weren't for her, we'd all have been killed."

Danielle turned her head to look at the second figure in the room. She couldn't make out any features all that well, just the basic outline. "That creature is known as Night Terror. It craves power and darkness, killing and absorbing humans, Ronso, Guado, Al Bhed… Even fiends." Paine folded her arms. "For some reason, it was particularly attracted to you. I've been keeping an eye out for this thing, and it's never traveled so far for one target."

Danielle thought about how the monster, Night Terror, had whispered into her ear before she blacked out. It was a voice so familiar to her, but she couldn't place it. But why would it come after her? What was so special about her that some insanely powerful monster would want to kill her? And what was that feeling inside of her when its claws had penetrated her chest? The cold chill, one that went straight to her heart, that had drowned her in darkness…

"Paine found us when your Ifrit was defeated. Night Terror's claws were in you, and it seemed to be draining the life out of you. Paine attacked it, and it ran off. She helped me get everyone back here." Yuna frowned slightly. "I've been really worried… I couldn't heal your injury as well as the others."

Danielle was about to ask how bad her condition was when Paine put a hand on Yuna's shoulder. "She needs to rest for a while longer. Check on your friends again. I'll inform you when she's well enough to travel." Yuna bowed and quietly left the room.

"What's wrong with me…?" Danielle whispered to Paine. "Something's not right… I can feel it…"

"Darkness devours the victims of Night Terror. In turn, it takes that darkness, and it becomes a part of that fiend. The darkness is like a poison that slowly kills a victim. I stopped Night Terror from killing you, but it's quite possible the darkness shall finish that job."

_Darkness, huh?_ _As if I didn't have enough problems with that already._

Danielle winced slightly, using one hand to push herself into a sitting position. There was a fresh burst of pain in her chest and her arm where she had been injured, but she ignored it. It actually wasn't all that bad. "I've fought the darkness before," Danielle said quietly. "I won't let it win again." Paine smirked, apparently impressed by her determination.

"You're pretty strong. I see why that fiend wanted you so bad." Paine moved through the darkness, handing Danielle a bundle of clothes. "Get changed and meet us at the ship." Danielle opened her mouth to speak, but Paine cut her off. "I'm traveling with Yuna's group to Luca. Don't be late." She left the room, and Danielle looked down at the shirt and vest in her hands. She decided to open up the shutters a bit so she could see better and cringed from the light as it temporarily blinded her. She blinked rapidly until her vision returned to normal and looked down at the white shirt and black vest in her hands.

"Wow. White and black. They really match, don't they?" Danielle chuckled and shook her head, amazed at how matching colors came to her head at a time like this. Maybe it was just to try and calm her shaky nerves…

Something caught her attention in the window. She peered at her reflection, noticing that there was no hole in her clothes where the claws had went in at. That, and she now bore a thin red line down the right side of her face, neatly bisecting the scar already there. But what really held her attention was the fact her shirt was in perfect condition pretty much. "That doesn't make any sense," she muttered.

_When has anything in your life made sense? Get a move on. You don't want to be late, do you?_

Danielle sighed, turning around and changing into the new clothes. She was especially careful with her bandaged arm as she slipped the shirt and vest on. She turned to walk out of the room, but a voice echoed in her mind, one that was all too familiar and always haunted her ever since that night a few weeks ago.

"My death… was just the beginning."

_Pious Augustus._

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Danielle sat at the bow of the ship, one leg pulled up, her right arm resting on her knee. She heard people talking excitedly behind her, but she paid no attention. She was thinking about Night Terror and the voice of Pious Augustus that she had heard. Could that fiend somehow be connected to the Ancients? Was this all part of some kind of plan to avenge the death of Chattur'gha's servant by that man she had encountered in Ehn'gha? Or was this just an incredibly powerful fiend that had been able to defeat the entire group, including an _aeon_?

Footsteps treaded softly on the wood behind her, but she didn't even glance backwards. "Are you feeling any better?"

Danielle closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I am. Thanks for asking, Yuna."

Her friend knelt beside her, hands resting on her lap as she gazed out across the sea. Danielle looked over at her, her spirits lifted slightly by Yuna's warm smile. "Paine said she would be your guardian." Yuna laughed a bit. "And I heard Wakka talking about trying to see if you would cut it on the blitzball team. He says you seem fast enough to make it."

Danielle smirked. "It does sound cool, but there's the small fact that I don't know much about blitzball." She sighed softly. "We'll have to split up at Luca, won't we…?"

Yuna nodded. "Yes, we will. But we'll meet again. I know it." She laid a hand on Danielle's shoulder. "We're both traveling down the same path. We're bound to see each other once again."

Danielle stared up at the stars. How different they seemed than when she looked at them from Earth! She wondered how far away her home was. Would Edward inform Alexandra that Danielle was all right? She didn't realize that Yuna was staring at her until she gently touched her shoulder. "Ah, sorry. Did you say something?"

"What're you thinking about?"

"Home," Danielle replied. "I wonder how my sister's doing, if everything's okay there… And I wonder… if I'll ever get back."

Yuna looked over her shoulder, and Danielle followed her gaze. Tidus was talking cheerily with the Besaid Aurochs. "You'll both get back. And maybe I'll get to see both Zanarkand and your world one day."

Danielle smiled at the hopeful look in Yuna's eyes. "Yeah. Maybe…" She trailed off, looking down at her bandaged arm. There were so many scars she bore, but she learned to live with it. Each one had a story to tell, but there were some she could do with forgetting.

"Hey, Danielle!" Tidus called out. She looked up, and the instant she saw the ball coming at her, she caught it. Tidus grinned, looking over at Wakka. "Well?"

He nodded. "Well, she can't replace Keepa, but Botta hasn't been feeling too well since we left Kilika. All we need to do is show her the ropes and train her a bit." Wakka smirked. "Hey, Danielle, how would you like to join the Besaid Aurochs?"

Danielle glanced back at Yuna, confused, but the summoner gave her an encouraging smile. "Go ahead!"

She nodded and faced Wakka once more. "Yeah, I would."

Wakka held up his fist, a large smile on his face. "Welcome to the Besaid Aurochs!"

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Danielle was about to go below decks when she heard someone call her name. It was Paine. "Yuna told me about you."

Danielle looked back over her shoulder. "And?"

The warrior folded her arms, nodding at her bandages arm. "You've fought one of those creatures, haven't you? Not the fiends, but the ones that have been appearing recently."

Danielle hesitated, turning to face Paine. "Yeah, I have. So?"

Paine slowly paced in front of her. "Few who encounter them live. Those who do slowly go insane from what they've seen." She glanced at Danielle out of the corner of her eye. "And these creatures seem to be searching."

Danielle's eyes widened not only in surprise, but fear and worry. The servants of the Ancients were wreaking havoc in Spira…? "What're you trying to say?"

Paine stopped now, approaching Danielle and speaking in a low tone. "I saw the injury on your arm. Yuna told me that her healing wouldn't work on it. You obviously know what these things are if you haven't gone insane like nearly everyone else who fights them has. You aren't from this world, and I know those creatures aren't either. They've never been seen until two days ago, the very day Yuna told me you arrived. Tell me, what are they?"

"I don't know," Danielle replied.

Paine grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, pushing her up against the bulkhead of the bridge. Her voice took on a low and dangerous tone, and her piercing red eyes stared into Danielle's. "Don't try to lie to me. You know what these things are. I heard you yesterday from the forest when you fought one off." She gripped Danielle's shirt tighter. "Spira is in great danger from these things, and I'm guessing the one they're searching for is you. If you really want to help, then start explaining."

Danielle shook a bit. "Okay, okay!" Paine released her, and Danielle let out a small sigh of relief. "They're creatures of a dark race of beings known as the Ancients. They were bound beyond the Veil of Reality thousands of years ago. The Veil is basically something humans unconsciously created so that we would never see the Ancients or their servants." Danielle glanced around nervously. "But the creatures can travel beyond the Veil. Humans were never meant to see what's beyond it. Our minds are too fragile."

Paine nodded. "That does make sense. I know that killing the best sets a person's mind at ease. At least I know what they are now… One more thing. Let me see your hand."

Danielle hesitated, but held up her right hand. Paine carefully undid the glove, revealing the scarred flesh beneath. A single wound was there, but it was visible on both sides of her hand, as if something had pierced through it. Danielle looked up at Paine, who was gently examining the old injury. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"There was a man named Pious Augustus. He was a servant of the Ancients, an undead Liche. His goal was to summon one of the Ancients, Chattur'gha, into my world. Alexandra, my older sister, and I had to fight him. It wasn't easy. That's how I got both this scar and the one across my face."

Paine was silent for a second, then handed the glove back. "That's not all, is it?"

Danielle gently clenched her hand into a fist, the dark memories of her past rising up again. "No… But what happened that night… I'm not ready to tell you just yet." She hung her head. "It's not that I'm hiding anything, it's just… It hurts to talk about it, you know?"

Paine closed her eyes momentarily. "I know. Go on and get some sleep now." Danielle silently turned around and was about to walk down the steps when Paine added, "Thanks."

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Danielle shifted restlessly on her small bed in the cabin. She couldn't sleep, memories of Night Terror filling her dreams and turning them into nightmares. The dark creature haunted her, not allowing her to sleep. She stared up at the ceiling, arms behind her head. What was Night Terror, anyways? Had it been human once? And how could it possibly be so strong?

She turned over onto her side, seeing Yuna sleeping peacefully in the bed beside her. An image of Devin flashed through her mind. Her adoptive brother had been missing for several weeks until she had found him in the Guardian City of Ehn'gha. He attacked her, claiming she had killed their parents. But Danielle would never harm the Sterlings. In reality, it had been Xel'lotath, the Ancient of Insanity, who had killed them.

Something else came to mind. All the times she had been with Devin and the Sterlings brought a smile to her face, but it slowly fell away as she felt something wrong. There was something missing, something from when she was just a kid. It was like there was a blank space were memories should be. Generally, she remembered things, especially her past, pretty well. But why couldn't she remember this?

Frustrated, Danielle just gave up trying to figure it out. She would put all the pieces together later. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable as she closed her eyes once more. Once she had finally fallen asleep, she was plagued by nightmares of that terrible battle just a few weeks back.


	8. Blitzball

Chapter 8: Blitzball

Danielle re-laced her shoes, clothes starting to dry out now after the team had finished practicing. She brushed one of her dripping wet bangs out of her eyes as Wakka came in, a solemn look on his face. "Hey, what's up?" she asked.

"Yuna's… been kidnapped by the Al Bheds."

"_What?_" Danielle heard herself shouting.

Wakka looked at the team. "They said that if we don't throw the match, we won't get Yuna back. The good news is that Lulu, Kimahri, and Tidus are trying to rescue her. The bad news… We have to play them next, and we can't delay the match. We'll have to keep the game a tie until Lulu gives us the signal that they were successful. If they fail… well, it's going to be one short tournament this year."

Danielle stood up, clenching her fists tight. "If anyone can rescue Yuna, those three can. And when they do, we're going to give the Al Bhed Psyches a little payback!"

Wakka brightened up considerably. "Right! Let's go out there and win! No more doing our best! We won't settle for nothing more than victory!"

The whistle blew, signaling for the teams to enter the stadium. Danielle followed the rest of the Aurochs out of the locker room and into the stadium, adrenaline pumping through her system. As the arena was filled up, she stared in awe at it. "Whoa…"

Wakka clapped her on the shoulder lightly. "I know. It's a real sight to see, ya?" He smiled. "The Al Bhed won't get away with cheating like this. We're going to get the Crystal Cup this year, and no one is going to stop us, especially with you and Tidus on our team."

Danielle nodded up at him, smiling herself. The sphere was completely full now, and Wakka led the way as he dove into the sphere. Danielle followed after the other Aurochs, taking up position to the left of Wakka while the others swam to their designated positions. As the ball was launched up and the Al Bhed Psyche midfielder caught it, Danielle kicked off from her starting position. The match had begun.

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Wakka took a tackle head-on, shaking his head and looking like he was in pain. He threw the ball to Danielle, who did a backflip in the water as she kicked it towards the goal. The goalie didn't even get his hands on it as it went into the net, scoring a goal for the Aurochs. The buzzer rang, signaling that it was now halftime. The score was 2-1, Psyches leading.

Danielle followed the others back to the locker room, doing her best to ignore the pain in her arm, back, and chest. Wakka must have noticed how tired she was, because he soon came over to her. "How ya holding up?"

Danielle forced a grin. "Just fine. I hope Tidus and the others find Yuna quickly. It's getting harder to hold these guys off."

Wakka nodded, looking worried as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Just hang in there, all right? If you need to rest for this half, tell me, and I'll put someone else in."

Shaking her head, Danielle grinned once more. "I'm fine, Wakka. Don't worry. I'm not planning on letting these guys win."

With a shrug, Wakka turned to speak to the rest of the team. "Okay! We need one more goal to tie with the Psyches! We get it, we keep the score even until Lulu sends the signal." He thrust his fist into the air. "Let's do this!"

The buzzer sounded as the teams returned to their positions. Wakka got the ball first and passed it to Jassu, who took off for the other side of the field. From her position, Danielle kept up with him, aware of the player trailing her. As soon as the ball came to her, she turned to face the player. He tried to tackle her, but Danielle swam upwards and kicked off his back, passing the ball to Wakka. As soon as it came to him, the captain kicked it straight into the goal, the ball barely missing the goalie's fingers.

Danielle made her way back to her position, slapping hands with Wakka as she passed by. She looked up at the clock. Three minutes left. The Psyches caught the ball this time, and Wakka went to intercept the midfielder.

The Psyche's right forward came at her, apparently not planning on letting her score again. Danielle kept an eye on her teammates as the blitzball continuously swapped between teams. A Psyche blitzer threw the ball to the man behind her, but she intercepted it and went far to the other side of the arena. That was when a player tackled her, ramming her elbow into her stomach. Danielle didn't let her get the ball, passing it to Wakka instead. The Psyche captain tackled Wakka, who held onto the ball, but looked seriously hurt. He was looking up at the sky, and as Danielle followed his gaze, she saw a green light flashing in the air above the stadium.

Wakka signaled to rush the Psyches. Danielle was to his left as the team charged forward. She darted between players, avoiding the various blows aimed to halt her progress. She counted down the final seconds in her head as she went, approaching the goal and shooting a glance back at Wakka.

_Five…_

He passed the ball to her, just as the Psyche captain came at her.

_Four…_

Danielle did multiple back-flips in the water, gaining momentum as she sent a powerful kick at the ball.

_Three…_

The Psyche captain had tried to tackle her before she kicked the ball, but was too late and ended up smashing his fist into the side of her head.

_Two…_

The other Al Bhed Psyches tried to block the ball also, but to no avail. The ball shot past them, heading straight for the goal.

_One…_

The goalie tried to make a final grab at the ball, but missed. The buzzer sounded as cheers erupted in the stands. The match was over. The Besaid Aurochs were victorious.

Danielle just floated there, her eyes closed, her head throbbing in pain. Hands grabbed her, pulling her out of the arena. She was soon lying on something hard, like a bench, and voices murmured around her. "Danielle, can you hear me?"

Danielle groaned. "Oh no. I can hear Wakka. That must mean I'm not dead yet." She forced a small grin, opening her eyes. "I take it we won?"

Wakka nodded, sitting on a nearby bench. "Thanks to you! You really did a great job out there, kid. Awesome moves for a first-time blitzer."

Danielle slowly sat up, her equilibrium gradually returning to normal. "So, I take it Tidus and the others were successful?"

The locker room door opened, and Yuna entered with her guardians. "You did it! You won!" Tidus cheered.

"At least you guys rescued Yuna when you did," Wakka said. "We would have been in trouble if you were any later."

Danielle noticed that Lulu looked at both her and Wakka with concern. "Well, I'm not playing in the match for the tournament. I don't think I'm up for it."

Wakka closed his eyes. "Botta, take Danielle's place. Tidus… You're in my spot. I'm sitting this one out."

"Are you two okay? Are you hurt?" Yuna asked, concerned.

They both shook their heads. "It's nothing serious," Danielle replied, immediately regretting moving her head like that.

"Yeah, same here. We just need rest, ya?"

Yuna still seemed worried, but she nodded. "Okay. We're going to get seats. Good-luck, everyone." She and Kimahri left, leaving the Aurochs, Danielle, Wakka, Lulu, and Tidus.

"Well guys, we better get ready," Tidus said to the others. "We have to play the Goers next… Time for some payback!" The Aurochs cheered, following him out.

Lulu looked over at Wakka. "You're hurt," she commented, noticing how the captain held his side. "I saw the hits you and Danielle took. I'm surprised you both kept playing. Will you be all right?"

Wakka nodded. "Yeah, Lu… I'm going to be fine. I just don't think I'm going to be playing again for a long while."

Danielle closed her eyes and stood up, her voice low and quiet. "I'm going to take a walk around, guys." She could tell Lulu and Wakka were staring at her as she walked quickly out of the locker room. She didn't know why, but she felt like just getting out of there and having some fresh air after that match.

She wandered around the decks, glancing at the video screens every now and then to watch the beginning of the final match, and that was when she noticed something strange. She was at Dock 3, but no one was present except for a single man in a black hooded cloak. A sword was on his back, its white hilt covered in some sort of strange black growth.

"What's with people in black cloaks these days? Don't you guys ever realize how clichéd that is?" Danielle rested her hand on her hip, watching the man carefully. She tensed her arm up, ready to draw her sword.

The man pulled out his blade, the silver blade also covered in the growth in some parts. The material wound its way up the blade, the growth ultimately joining together at the tip. He ignored her comment as he smirked, his eyes hidden in the shadows cast by his hood. "It's been… a while, hasn't it?"

Danielle's eyes went wide, and in an instant her blade was drawn. "What're you talking about? Who are you?"

Slowly, he began to circle around her, his face turning towards her every now and then. "You've forgotten already? I'm ashamed." He pointed his sword at her, his hand that held it looking as if it had been burned by fire. "You know so little, Danielle. I'm amazed you're still alive." He pulled off his cloak and tossed it away with one hand.

Danielle's blood ran cold. "D-Devin… You're alive!"

Her adoptive brother had a cold look on his face. "Yeah, I am, but you won't be for long."

"What?"

Devin looked irritated now. "What, don't remember when I told you before I sent you here, Danielle? You killed my parents. They were kind enough to take in a mentally insane freak like you, and you repay their kindness by killing them!" he snarled. "They should have just left you to rot in that asylum. Maybe then they would still be alive."

_Asylum…? What the heck is he talking about? I was never in an asylum!_

"It wasn't me!" she shouted, shaking her head. "I would never hurt them!" She felt a pang of sadness in her heart. Why was he doing this? Yeah, he had always been cold and distant to her, but now he was just plain, well… evil. "And what are you talking about? I wasn't in an asylum! I think I would remember something like that."

"Don't give me that junk again. You're just as crazy as the rest of that family of yours. And you were never supposed to remember what happened back then, but let me inform you." The smile on his face was unnerving, sending chills through her body. "Right after Mom and Dad took you in, they brought you to an asylum because you wouldn't shut up about monsters killing your parents and coming for you. It got so bad, we had no other choice but to bring you in. It was a few years before they even bothered to get you, and that's because of your stupid grandfather. Did you ever wonder why you never knew about your true parents? Because you were made to forget, Danielle."

Danielle clenched her fists tight, tears coming to her eyes. "No… They wouldn't do that… They cared about me…"

He laughed sharply, shaking his head. "You really think so? Consider your family, Danielle. A bunch of maniacs, that's what they are. Nearly every single one of them went insane or died in some weird way. I say they deserved it, especially your grandfather." A maniacal smile appeared on his face. "He deserved what he got, you know. I hope it hurt…" Devin's eyes narrowed, his smile falling away. "And now you will join them… in death!"


	9. Parting of Ways

((A/N: Whoa. This took a while to update. I've been so busy with school and stuff lately, I've had no time to write. I'll try to work on it more, though.))

* * *

Chapter 9: Parting of Ways

Danielle was thrown backwards as her brother suddenly attacked with a vicious kick. She dropped her blade, staggering slowly to her feet. Devin grabbed her by the neck, slamming her into the ground. "Fight, Danielle! I want to at least have a challenge before I kill you!"

Danielle coughed harshly as he let go of her and stepped backwards. She tasted blood in her mouth. "I don't… want… to hurt you…"

"Too bad. I don't feel the same way about you!" He ran at her again, slashing with his sword. Danielle ducked under it, grabbing her blade and blocking his follow-up attack. Their blades were pushed against each other, locked in a struggle, and Danielle felt herself being pushed backwards. "This time, you won't escape. Say hello to Mom and Dad for me." With an incredible burst of power, he shoved her sword away and slashed at her neck. But another sword stopped it, the blade almost touching her neck.

Devin jumped backwards as Paine slashed at him. Wiping away a trickle of blood from a small cut on his face with a ravaged hand, he smirked. "Well, well, well… You again. I take it you're this imbecile's guardian?"

"You're stupid to risk showing your face again in Luca, Devin."

_Paine? How does she know who Devin is…?_

He let out a sharp laugh, standing up straight. "Such harsh words, Paine. I don't really care if I'm wanted by every single person in Spira! No one can stop me. Not a summoner, not you, not even," Devin smirked as he said this, "a Guardian of Light."

"Devin, what are you doing?" Danielle shouted as nine all-too-familiar red runes appeared on the ground. "You… You can't be…"

Devin's smirk widened. "Yes, I am. His body may be gone, but Chattur'gha's spirit shall never be destroyed!" A pool of red light appeared in front of him as a scaled claw shot out, latching onto the cement. Another followed, and soon a dragon had pulled itself from the portal. Its skin was completely red, and its body was long and low, not quite like the dragons Danielle imagined. It lacked any wings, and its yellow eyes shone out from their sockets.

"Remember how much you used to love dragons? Well, I find it fitting that you're about to be killed by one!" Devin laughed. "Go! Kill them both!"

Danielle gritted her teeth, sliding into a defensive stance. "Paine, I don't think we can take him."

Her guardian smirked. "Don't worry. We'll beat it." Paine rushed the dragon, slashing up at its head and dodging its claws. Danielle went to join her when the dragon let out a great roar. Red lightning shot into the ground, hitting Danielle and making her fall to her knees. Pain flowed through her body, paralyzing her. The mocking tone of Pious Augustus echoed in her mind.

"_you are powerless against my master, Roivas. Surrender, and your death will be without pain."_

Danielle staggered to her feet, seeing Paine single-handedly holding off the dragon. "I'm not… I'm not going to lose anymore!" The red crystal in her sword glowed with an inner fire as she held it with both hands, tip pointed at the ground. She thrust the blade into the concrete, the whole sword becoming engulfed in flames. The fire licked at her hands, but they didn't burn them. Cracks appeared in the ground, flames coming out of them as Vulcain burst through.

"Paine, fall back!" Danielle shouted, taking her sword in hand once more. Her friend did as she said as the Ifrit rushed its opponent. Claws raked down the side of the dragon's face, and it roared In pain. Danielle saw Devin casting a recovery spell on it, so she darted forward, slashing diagonally. She heard the dragon's death cry as Devin's eyes went wide. Blood trickled down the wound, dark in color, which wasn't normal.

"So… You finally have the nerve to fight… Well, it doesn't matter… The Darkness… is… eternal…" Devin closed his eyes and fell backwards, his body dissolving into pyreflies before it hit the ground. His sword faded away, along with the corpse of the dragon.

Danielle fell to her knees, her sword clattering to the ground beside her. Tears ran down her face as she let out a sob. "Bro… I didn't mean… I didn't want to kill you…"

Paine gently pulled Danielle to her feet, helping her to stand. "He was your brother? He wasn't from Spira?"

Danielle shook her head. "His name's Devin Sterling… My parents died when I was little, so another family took me in… Devin's not related by blood… but he's still my brother. I grew up with him almost all my life…"

Paine's face softened, but confusion was evident in its features. "If he's your brother, why did he attack you?"

"You know how I told you about the Ancients? One of them killed his parents. He had gone missing a while back, and I thought he was dead." Another sob escaped her throat. "He really is now… because of me…"

Paine shook her head. "He was a servant of one of these Ancients, apparently. His real killer wasn't you, but the Ancient. Don't blame yourself for it."

Danielle looked over at the warrior. She was right. The real killer was Chattur'gha, the one who had manipulated Devin. He was supposed to have been destroyed by Ulyaoth, but it seemed he was still alive. And that meant that…

Her thought was cut off by the sound of screaming coming from the stadium. Danielle shot Paine a glance as she snatched up her sword. Together, the two rushed up the steps into the stadium, ready for the chaos that was ahead.

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Danielle and Paine fought back-to-back, holding off a mass of fiends that were trying to get at the spectators. Danielle cut through a Coyote, kicking away another as it lunged at her. She saw the familiar forms of Ulyaoth and Xel'lotath zombies, but they weren't fighting each other. They were actually working _together_.

"Paine! You know how to deal with zombies, right?" The warrior replied by swiftly dispatching two of them in one slash. Danielle felt hands grab her from behind and teeth clamp onto her shoulder. Before they could rip into the flesh, she thrust her sword backwards into her attacker's stomach. As a strange humming sound reached her ears, and a blue light washed over both Paine and her, Danielle pulled out the blade and sliced through the neck of the Ulyaoth zombie in one move, cutting off its kamikaze attack.

Danielle cut down a Coyote that lunged at a woman, pyreflies shooting past her into the sky. She saw a man in a red robe holding a massive sword cut down a large reptilian fiend with just one blow. He turned to face her, his one good eye staring at her. The man nodded his head slightly, right when Paine shouted a warning. The Coyote jumping at Danielle received a sword through its head as she crouched down and pushed her blade upwards. When she looked back, the man was gone.

"Danielle, look," Paine instructed, pointing over to the stand where Maesters Mika and Seymour, two leaders of Yevon, had been watching the tournament. Now, a massive beast was there, chains wrapped around its entire body. With an inhuman and tortured cry, its eye glowed crimson red. With every flash, fiends dissolved into pyreflies and zombies faded away.

Danielle stared in awe at the monster, her heart skipping a beat. "What… What is that thing?"

"Anima, the dark aeon. Powerful, but hard to control. Those chains represent a summoner's control over it. If they ever broke, it would go on a rampage and destroy all in its path. It is truly a terrifying beast." The last of the monsters were wiped out, and everyone looked towards Maester Seymour, the one who had summoned Anima.

Danielle saw the smirk on Maester Seymour wore and felt a chill run up her spine. There was something dark about him, something that sent fear deep into her heart.

------------------------------------------

Danielle and Paine stood before Yuna and her guardians at the entrance to Luca stadium. The man Danielle had seen before was with them now, and Yuna introduced him as Auron, a guardian who had protected her father on his pilgrimage. He was leaning back against a wall, listening to them.

"So… I guess it's time that we went our separate ways, huh?" Danielle asked quietly, even though she already knew the answer. She rubbed the back of her head with her gloved right hand, then brushed the bangs out of her eyes. "Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon."

Paine looked over at Yuna. "Be careful out there. Powerful fiends have been showing up lately. Don't get careless and drop your guard."

Yuna bowed, performing the prayer of Yevon to them. Danielle and Paine returned the gesture, as it was the custom to. "Thank you for the advice. We won't forget it."

Auron pushed away from the wall, starting to walk past them out of the stadium. "Don't forget to take your own advice," he warned. Tidus shot him a double take before chasing after Auron, calling his name.

Wakka sighed and shook his head. "I really don't get what's going on between those two, ya?" With a shrug, he smiled at Danielle. "Well, thank us for helping us win the tournament! We couldn't have done it without ya." He patted her on the shoulder. "You've really got some potential, kid."

Lulu nodded her head slightly to Danielle. "Be careful. I hope that our paths will cross again. Paine, please take good care of her."

"I will," she replied. "Lady Yuna, good luck on your pilgrimage. May you succeed in following your father's footsteps."

Yuna bowed once more. "Thank you. Farewell, and thank you for all your help."

Danielle watched her friends leave and sighed softly. "You don't want to have to leave them, do you?" Paine asked.

"No, I don't, but I know I have to." Danielle clenched her fists tight. "We have to stop the Ancients while defeating Sin. It's not going to be easy, but…" She stared down at her hand, thinking of that final look on Devin's face. "I'm going to do it for Devin…"

Paine smiled a bit as Danielle's eyes burned with determination. The Ancients had taken so much away from her already. They weren't going to take anything else.


End file.
